FISHERS — The death of fish in Geist Reservoir has the "appearances of a small, natural die-off of some sunfish species," the Indiana Department of Natural Resources announced in a statement Wednesday.
The DNR and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management inspected the northern shoreline of Geist Reservoir on Tuesday and found 10-to-15 deceased redear sunfish. The agencies also took live fish that showed signs of infection to the Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab for testing.
The update cited a possible fungal or bacterial infection as the cause of the fish kill, which it said often happens this time of year when fish are already stressed from winter. The DNR does not believe the die-off will not have an impact on the fish population in the reservoir.
The DNR ruled out chemical treatment of aquatic vegetation as a factor, and IDEM did not find evidence of chemical contamination or run-off related hazards.
